You have reached the home for Temenos Silybos, the Grove of the Blessed Thistle. Ours is the New Orleans grove of the Minoan Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood is a fraternal mystery tradition for men who love men. Our roots are in the British Witchcraft tradition. The Brotherhood operates within a male+male spiritual framework drawing on the Cretan mythos. Our primary deities are the Great Mother Rhea and her divine son Asterion.
Edmund M. Buczynski founded the Brotherhood in 1977 in New York City. Eddie and his partner Herman Slater, of the Magical Childe, were central figures in the development of paganism in city. Eddie was an Elder of the Gardnerian and New York Welsh Traditions, and a founding Elder of the NY Wica Tradition.
Eddie founded the Brotherhood in response to the heterosexism deeply embedded in other forms of modern witchcraft. Though primarily formed of gay and bisexual men, the brotherhood is open to all adult males interested in exploring the male mysteries.
The Brotherhood is a Religious Revival for Gay Men. It is an involvement in a re-construction of the Pagan Mystery-cult worship of the Great Mother Goddess of the Bronze-age Aegean (circa 2000B.C.) and Her Divine Son, who is the Patron of Male Homosexuality. The Cult is practices as it was in Ancient Crete, the home of the First European Civilization—The Minoan Civilization.
—Eddie Buczynski
The Grove of the Blessed Thistle is located in the Greater New Orleans metro region. We serve southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Our covenstead is located just outside New Orleans proper. We have completed our rebuilding from hurricane Ida, and are once again open to work with a small number of seekers.
If you are interested in learning more, see the seekers page.
Additionally there are groves throughout North & South America, Europe, and Asia. Interested seekers outside of the New Orleans region, may find a list of groves is available here.
Some questions may be answered by the Minoan Brotherhood FAQ